Tony Bellew recently surprised fans by calling out Poland’s Lukasz Rozanski half a decade on from his official retirement.
The former cruiserweight world champion bowed out after a knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk, and has been comfortably in the punditry chair ever since.
Despite ruling out a comeback in the past, he had his eye recently on the controversial bridgerweight division – introduced and sanctioned solely by the WBC – and announced that he fancies his chances against its champion.
Bellew clarified to TalkSPORT that he called out Rozanski through no bad blood, but simply because he felt he had a good chance of taking his 224lbs belt.
“It’s not a spat, it’s someone I think I could beat. I’m not going to lie, I’m 40 years of age and I don’t know. Getting ready for Creed 3 last year I got in really good shape and ended up seeing a set of abs that I hadn’t seen in the best part of a decade and I thought ‘why not’.
“To be totally honest, I couldn’t make cruiserweight again safely and I’m straight up to the point, but I could make bridgerweight nice and comfortable and if I’m being honest, I think I’d absolutely pulverise him.”
The Liverpool man is realistic in his pursuit, though, admitting that, whilst he could handle a training camp, he wasn’t sure what it would be like in the ring until the first bell rings. That’s where the danger lies when discussing a comeback at 40.
“I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see. I’d have to go back to the gym for a little bit and spend some time there. Have I still got it? I don’t know. I’m not completely out of shape, I’ve always stayed in some type and I don’t know.
“After that you think ‘can I take the impact and the pounding of the punches’, that’s the only question I’ve really got left to answer. I know my body can get through a camp and I know I can do it.
“I lost to arguably the greatest cruiserweight ever and that was the last time I got into the ring. Could I beat him? Absolutely not, no. What would I be coming back for? I just identified that, it’s to be a world champion. There’s nothing else worth coming back for.”
Bellew confirmed that any comeback was still in the consideration stage, and no more should be made of it for now.